In a surprise announcement on Tuesday, Eric Staal underwent minor surgery to repair what has been reported as a “core injury,” but is expected to be back in time for the start of camp. I’m not sure why the Carolina Hurricanes decided to call it a core injury, but it’s likely Staal suffered a sports hernia during his offseason training regiment, which is pretty common among athletes.

The Canes haven’t made the playoffs once since they won the Stanley Cup in 2006, so when the news broke that their best player was undergoing surgery, I’m sure it wasn’t the best way for Canes fans to start their morning; however, don’t be too concerned about No. 12 being ready for the start of the season.

Hurricanes general manager Ron Francis released a statement on Tuesday, and the injury doesn’t sound like it was too serious.

“Eric notified us of the injury late last week, and flew to Raleigh and then Philadelphia to be evaluated,” Francis said. “By having this procedure now, Dr. Meyers believes Eric will be able to return to action for training camp and be at full health for the start of the regular season.”

First off, it’s good news that Staal brought forth the injury to the team’s staff – it means that Staal has faith in the Canes’ management and doctoral team. Had he hid the injury, he may have either made it worse, or brought it to team doctors too late and not been ready for the beginning of next season.

Staal hasn’t had the best luck staying healthy over the last two offseasons. Last year, Staal suffered a serious looking knee injury at the World Championships, but ended up only missing three games all season. He’s a resilient player who will take his rehabilitation seriously. It’d be a surprise if he wasn’t ready to lead the troops when the Canes take the ice on Oct. 10 against the New York Islanders, which is the team’s regular season opener.

Shane Darrow is an NHL writer for Rant Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @ShaneDarrow for news and updates during the NHL offseason.